Loesch was speaking at the conservative CPAC conference in Washington Thursday (Feb. 22) when she confronted the media outlets in the back of the hall.

"Many in legacy media love mass shootings," she said, to a smattering of "yeah's" and applause from the crowd. "You guys love it," she continued. Now, I'm not saying you love the tragedy, but I am saying that you love the ratings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold to you and many of the legacy media in the back."

RTDNA tried to make sense of the attack in an online statement. "Some have suggested she was simply throwing red meat at an annual gathering that has, especially during the last few years, been a bastion for attacking the Fourth Estate," it said. "Some have speculated that her claim was an effort to distract the news media, which she knew would cover her remarks widely, from continuing to report on the intense gun control debate that has reemerged since the tragic February 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida."

RTNDA said it did not care about her motives, but responded to her words in a YouTube video.

"We are your neighbors. Your friends. We attend the same houses of worship. We go the same classes at the gym. Our children are in the same classes at school," RTNDA said. "We live in and love the same communities you do. We cannot make our communities better if we do not understand them, and as journalists we have dedicated our lives to uncovering challenges, understanding issues and uplifting each other’s voices. We believe in truth and accuracy above all. We are deeply affected by tragedy."